Hatch cover



W. HAMILTON Jan. 9, 1962 HATCH COVER Filed Dec. 11, 1958 IN V EN TOR.

WALLACE HAMILTON ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 3,016,087 Patented Jan. 9, 1962 3,016,087 HATCH COVER Wallace Hamilton, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignor, by memo assignments, to Pneumo Dynamics Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 11, 1958,'Ser. No. 779,766 3 Claims. (Cl. 160-206) This invention relates to new and improved power operatedhatch cover systems adapted to cover hatchways on ships and the like.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a hinge structure for hatchways which eliminates the interference normally occurring in the initial opening of a a floating link to automatically adjust for tolerance variations in the cover structure.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a hatch-cover sys- U tern incorporating this invention illustrating the position the panels assume when they cover the hatchway;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of apair of panels when they are aligned and cover the hatchway with the-roller of one pair of panels removed for clarity; I

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the operation of the panels during the initial opening; and

FIGURE 4 shows the panels in the fully open position. I

When ,a plurality of panels are used in a single hatch cover system and are arranged so that two fold to one end of the hatchway, the pivotal connection between the adjacent panels are along the lower panel surfaces or are alternately along upper and lower surfaces if two or more pairs of panels fold together. When the panels initially move from the extended position wherein they cover the hatchway, the pivots connecting adjacent panels move into a plane containing the hinge axis and the abutting corner of the forward end of the panels. This causes the panel structureto increase in length and produces interference if means are not provided to compensate for this elongation. The hinge structure, according to this invention, provides the proper compensation to permit limited elongation of the panel system during the initial opening as well as providing a structure which automatically compensates for panel manufacturing tolerances.

In FIGURE 1, a hatchway is shown schematically which includes a coarning around a hatchway on the deck 11 of a ship. A first panel 12 is pivotally connected by a pair of hinge assemblies 13 to one end of the hatchway. A second panel 14 is pivotally connected to the opposite edge of the first panel 12 by a hinge pivot 16 which appears in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4. The forward edge of the second panel 14 is provided with rollers 17 on opposite sides of the hatchway which roll along tracks 18 which extend along the sides of the hatchway. It should be noted that although only one roller 17 and track 18 is shown, a similar structure is provided on the far side of the hatchway to support the opposite edge of the panels. A second pair of similar panels 2-4'extend from the opposite end of the hatchway.

The two panels 12 and 14 of the hatch cover are provided with a power actuating system (not shown) of the type disclosed in the co-pending application of Joseph Hannigan, Serial No. 704,708, filed December 2 23, 1957, which operates to move the panels from the closed position of FIGURE 2 to the open position of FIGURE 4. For a detailed description ofthis actuating system, reference should be made to the aforesaid copending application. For purposesofsimplicity, seals and the jacking mechanism have not been shown but it should be understood that seals and a jacking system of the type shown in the co-pending application of Jack Lovell, Serial No. 764,893, filed October 2, 1958, now U.S. Patent No. 2,949,091, issued August-16, 1960, would be used to insure proper sealing of the hatchway.

Each of the'hinge assemblies 13 including a floating hinge linak 19 connected by a pivot 21 to a stationary mounting lug 22 on the coaming 10. The hinge links 19 are connected to the panel 12 by a second pivot 23 vertically spaced above the pivot 21 and horizontally spaced from the pivot 21 in the direction toward the panel 12. -A line connecting the two pivots 21 and 23 -will normally extend approximately 45 realtive to the "horizontal.

In the illustrated hatch cover system, there are two pairs of panels. One pair of panels, including the panels 12 and 14, fold to the left and the other pair of panels 24 fold to the right end of the hatchway. Each pair of panels is similar and opposite in structureso only one 7 need be discussed in detail. When the panels 12 and 14 are aligned,-they extend along and cover the hatchway as shown in FIGURE 2. The outer end 26 of the panel 14 abuts the outer end 27 of the second pair of panels 24. A resilient seal (not shown) extends along the abutting ends to prevent leakage. It should be noted that the hinge pivot 16 is on the lower face of the panels 12 and 14 and in a position below a line connecting the pivot 23 and the upper edge 28 of the outer end 26. As

'the folding of the panels 12 and 14 is initiated, the hinge pivot 16 moves up into a plane containing the pivot 23 and the upper edge 28 so thedistance between these two points 22 and 28 is increased. At the same time, the second pair of panels may be operating to open or may remain in the closed position. In either case, the engagement of the upper edge 28 with the adjacent panel of the other pair of panels prevents the upper edge 28 from moving horizontally to the right. Therefore, interference occurs if means are not provided to permit the pivot 23 to move to the left. In order to eliminate'this interference, the link 19 is mounted for free pivotal movement on the-pivot 21. -As shown in FIGURE I, normally the hinge link 19 rests on thecoaming 10 but the horizontal forcedeveloped'by the increase in distance between the upper edge 28 and pivot 23 overcomes the weighton the link and causes the hinge link'19 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around the pivot 21 as shown in FIGURE 3 and thereby eliminates the interference which would normally occur.

As the panels 12 and 14 move to the vertical position of FIGURE 4, the panel 12 engages a stop 29 on the ship structure. In this instance, the roller 17 is substantially adjacent to the pivot 23 and any variations in the distance between the roller 17 and the hinge pivot 16 and the distance between the pivot 23 and the hinge pivot 16 would cause a substantial variation in the open position of the two panels if automatic compensation were not provided by the hinge link 19. It should be understood that the hatch cover panels are fabricated by welding and it is essentially impossible to manufacture such panels to very close tolerances. Therefore, the

various proportions are arranged so that the hinge link 19 will be rotated about its pivot 21 away from the coarning 10 when the panel 12 engages the stop 29. This insures that the panel 12 will always engage the stop 29 for any combination of tolerances. If, in the manufacture, the panel 12 is on the long side of its tolerances or the panel 14 is on the short side, the hinge link 19 will not rotate away from the stop 29 any appreciable amount. However, if the panel 12 is on the short side of its tolerance and the panel 1 is on the long side of its tolerance, a greater amount of rotation of the hinge link 19 will occur.

The use of the simple floating link structure provides a low cost dependable automatic compensation for the increase in length caused by the movement of the hinge pivot 16 into alignment with the pivot 23 and the upper edge 28 and insures that the panels 12 and 14 will engage the stop 29 in the open position without necessitating the use of shims or the like to insure the exact dimensions. It should be recognized that in some cases, four panels will be folded to one end of the hatchway and in such cases, the extent of interference would be greater if it were not for the use of the improved hinge link structure. The location of the pivot 23 in relation to the pivot 21 should be such that the weight of the panel 12 always tends to urge the hinge link 19 into engagement with the coaming with sufficient force to properly compress the forward seals. Therefore, the pivot 23 must be on the side of the pivot 21 toward the panel 12. In addition, the pivot 23 must be above the pivot 21 so that the axial force developed at the initial opening of the panels will create the force moment on the hinge link 19 necessary to overcome the force moment created by the weight of the panels. Normally, a line connecting the two pivots 21 and 23 Will extend at approximately 45 relative to the horizontal.

Althougha preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated, it will be realized that various modifications of the structural details may be made without departing from the mode of operation and the essence of the invention. Therefore, except insofar as they are claimed in the appended claims, structural details may be varied widely without modifying the mode of operation. Accordingly, the appended claims and not the aforesaid detailed description are determinative of the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A hatch cover for covering a hatchway comprising a first cover panel and a second cover panel having adjacent inner ends disposed in abutting relation with-the cover panels aligned with each other and overlying a hatchway, a hinge connecting said first and second cover panels at their adjacent inner ends for folding said panels to a position in which the cover panels are disposed in substantial parallelism, a link at the outer end of the first panel, a first pivot connecting the link to the first panel for pivotal movement of the first panel relatively to the link, a second pivot connecting the link to a fixed structure for pivotal movement of the link relatively to the fixed structure, said first pivot being disposed above the second pivot and forming the link with a lever arm extending upwardly from the second pivot to the first pivot and the force operating to fold said first and second panels also operating on said link through its lever arm to pivot the link on the second pivot and permitting said cover panels to be folded from said aligned position to a position in which the cover panels are substantially parallel.

2. A hatch cover for covering a hatchway comprising a first cover panel and a second cover panel having adjacent inner ends disposed in abutting relation with the cover panels aligned with each other and overlying a hatchway, a hinge connecting said first and second cover panels at their adjacent inner ends and having a hinge axis disposed at the underside of said first and second cover panels for folding said panels to a position in which the cover panels are disposed in substantial parallelism, a link at the outer end of the first panel, a first pivot connecting the link to the first panel for pivotal movement of the first panel relatively to the link, a second pivot connecting the link to a fixed structure for pivotal movement of the link relatively to the fixed structure, said first pivot being disposed above the hinge axis and also being disposed above the second pivot and forming the link with a lever arm extending upwardly from the second pivot to the first pivot and the force operating to fold said first and second panels also operating on said link through its lever arm to pivot the link on the second pivot and permitting said cover panels to be folded from said aligned position to a position in which the cover panels are substantially parallel.

3. A hatch cover for covering a hatchway comprising a first cover panel and a second cover panel having adjacent inner ends disposed in abutting relation with the cover panels aligned with each other and overlying a hatchway, each of said first and second cover panels having a substantial thickness, a hinge connecting said first and second cover panels at their adjacent inner ends and means securing the hinge to the adjacent inner ends of said cover panels at the underside thereof to dispose the hinge axis at the underside of said panels for folding panels to a position in which the cover panels are disposed in substantial parallelism, a link at the outer end of the first panel, a first pivot connecting the link to the first panel for pivotal movement of the first panel relatively to the link, a second pivot connecting the link to afixed structure for pivotal movement of the link rela tively to the fixed structure, said first pivot being disposed above the hinge axis and also being disposed above the second pivot and forming the link with a lever arm extending upwardly from the second pivot to the first pivot and the force operating to fold said first and second panels also operating on said link through its lever arm to pivot the link on the second pivot and permitting said cover panels to be folded from said aligned position to a position in which the cover panels are substantially parallel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,072,641 Madland Mar. 2, 1937 2,256,087 Hay Sept. 16, 1941 2,535,324 Slopa Dec. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,109,309 France Sept. 21, 1955 

